Volksbank - An odd Italian Bank

[Renato1]

When I got to northern Italy, my closest ATM was a Volksbank one.

It turned out they charged no fees when I used my Citibank card for cash withdrawals, they didn't have the tiny withdrawal limit that the previous bank had had there, and they didn't insult my intelligence by offering Australian dollar conversion at absurd rates.

It was now better than Unicredito bank which I had previously used, as the latter now charged three Euros to take out 500 Euros, and offered the stupid conversion rate.

But it turned out Volksbank had an annoying glitch. Every time I tried making a withdrawal on the weekend, the machine would tell me that either my card was expired, or that there was something wrong and to contact my bank.

But when I'd later try to make a cash withdrawal on the Monday, all would be well - no problem at all.

I asked a friend if he knew what was going on. He said it was an Italian Bank run by the German speakers from Alto Adige - and that when they go home on the weekend, everything stops. He said he can't even do on-line banking with them on the weekend.

What a quaint bank.
Regards,
Renato

 

[esseeeayeenn]

When I got to northern Italy, my closest ATM was a Volksbank one.

It turned out they charged no fees when I used my Citibank card for cash withdrawals, they didn't have the tiny withdrawal limit that the previous bank had had there, and they didn't insult my intelligence by offering Australian dollar conversion at absurd rates.

It was now better than Unicredito bank which I had previously used, as the latter now charged three Euros to take out 500 Euros, and offered the stupid conversion rate.

But it turned out Volksbank had an annoying glitch. Every time I tried making a withdrawal on the weekend, the machine would tell me that either my card was expired, or that there was something wrong and to contact my bank.

But when I'd later try to make a cash withdrawal on the Monday, all would be well - no problem at all.

I asked a friend if he knew what was going on. He said it was an Italian Bank run by the German speakers from Alto Adige - and that when they go home on the weekend, everything stops. He said he can't even do on-line banking with them on the weekend.

What a quaint bank.
Regards,
Renato

I remember being surprised to encounter a significant German speaking minority on the island of Ischia, in the Bay of Naples.

 

[Jacques Vert]

I asked a friend if he knew what was going on. He said it was an Italian Bank run by the German speakers from Alto Adige - and that when they go home on the weekend, everything stops.

Maybe that's because they can't afford to pay weekend penalty rates for the staff inside the ATM who feed the notes into the slot?

 

[Renato1]

I remember being surprised to encounter a significant German speaking minority on the island of Ischia, in the Bay of Naples.

Interesting. I wonder how that came to be?

The Alto Adige German speakers were part of Austria Hungary before being ceded to Italy after the First World War.

One gets huge meat meals in hotels in that region of Italy, spending a fraction of what one would spend in the rest of northern Italy.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Maybe that's because they can't afford to pay weekend penalty rates for the staff inside the ATM who feed the notes into the slot?

I guess one could be happy that their ATM machines operate during the daily three hour siesta. Slave drivers.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[kelvedon]

Italy’s biggest bank UniCredit hopes
to boost its share price by becoming less Italian too, by placing assets in Germany, and distancing it from the chaotic Italian politics and economy.

Italy's biggest bank's plan to revive its fortunes? Be less Italian

www.google.com.au

 

[VPS]

I had that issue with a US Etrade debit card when I was in the UK. It worked during the day but not after hours and no one could tell me one.

 

[Renato1]

I had that issue with a US Etrade debit card when I was in the UK. It worked during the day but not after hours and no one could tell me one.

Interesting, thanks.
Renato